AC/DC Played Final Show with Bon Scott 46 Years Ago Before Lead Singer’s Death

AC/DC performed their last show with vocalist Bon Scott on Jan. 27, 1980, at the Gaumont Club in Southampton, England. Less than a month passed before Scott died on Feb. 18, 1980, from acute alcohol poisoning in London.

The show was the final stop on the band's tour supporting Highway to Hell. That night, they played 14 songs. The setlist included "Live Wire," "Problem Child," "High Voltage," and "Highway to Hell." 

Scott sang on the band's first six albums. Let There Be Rock, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, and Highway to Hell all featured his voice. He joined the group by the time they recorded their first album, High Voltage, though he wasn't the original vocalist.

The loss hit hard. "For us, it was like losing a member of your family," said Angus Young, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. "It's very, very difficult to go through something like that. Not only is it your friend, but it's also somebody you've been working with at the time."

Scott's surviving family urged them to continue. They found Brian Johnson to take on the role. The title track from the band's 1980 album, Back in Black, served as a tribute to Scott. Johnson wrote the song and faced pressure to get it right.